1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an environmental map correction device, and an autonomous mobile device including the environmental map correction device.
2. Description of the Related Art
An autonomous mobile device which autonomously travels in an ambient environment is known. In order for an autonomous mobile device to autonomously travel in an ambient environment, an environmental map showing an area with objects (hereinafter also referred to as the “obstacles”) and an area without objects within the travel space is required. Here, Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. H7-129238 discloses a mobile robot which generates a topographic map (environmental map) using topographic data obtained as a result of measuring distances using a laser range finder (or a camera).
The detection results of a laser range finder and the like sometime contain noise. Moreover, during the creation of an environmental map, if a human being, a mobile object or the like passes through the detection range of the laser range finder, there is a possibility that an object that does not exist on a regular basis is disposed on the environmental map. Meanwhile, even in cases of generating an environmental map from CAD data, there are cases where an object that is to become an obstacle is disposed after the CAD data is created. Thus, there is a possibility that the generated or acquired environmental map and the actual ambient environment will differ. Here, if the generated or acquired environmental map and the actual ambient environment are different, for example, upon planning a travel route from the environmental map, there is a possibility of determining that it is not possible to pass through a passage, which in reality can be passed through, due to the existence of an obstacle, and consequently selecting a detour route.